


Burrito

by Zombiehumans



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, Homelessness, a burrito, a random unpleasant deputy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 18:06:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15006407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombiehumans/pseuds/Zombiehumans
Summary: Theo just wanted breakfast. That half a burrito looked perfect.





	Burrito

Theo was getting sick of waking up to the sound of a deputy tapping on his window, and he would definitely rather park his truck somewhere a bit outside of Beacon Hills, where people would be less likely to find and bother him. But he was running low on gas, and couldn't afford to drive in and out of town. He needed to stay close to where people were, because where there were people, there was food. There were also better chances of finding a place to wash up, and to wash his clothes. When he could manage that, he at least had a better shot at securing a job. It hadn't been enough so far, considering he wasn't exactly qualified for anything that had any qualifications, and most employers would ask for an address, or some kind of identification he didn't happen to have. But he didn't have any choice but to keep trying, and in the absence of money, keeping near people was the best way to find food. 

The last time he was woken up, it was actually morning. So Theo didn't move the truck; he just got up and started his day. He was near a gas station, so he grabbed his toiletries and set about his morning routine in the gas station's restroom. With clean teeth, a clean face, brushed hair, and deodorized pits, he could return the stuff to his truck, lock it, and head out in search of breakfast. He knew that the best time to find breakfast was to be around when other people were walking about with theirs. Trying not to appear too obviously homeless, he walked around himself as though he had a particular destination. If he paid extra attention to who was putting what in the trash cans, or peeked into them on occasion, nobody had to notice. And if they did happen to, it wasn't really any of their business anyway, though Theo did prefer to be discreet if he could manage it. 

It took an hour or so of wandering, but eventually he spotted a likely prospect a little ways ahead of him. Someone with an over-sized breakfast (presumably) burrito, looking not too excited about continuing with the whole endeavor of finishing it. Theo's longtime perceptiveness, ingrained in him from his time with the Dread Doctors and used on many occasions in his devious schemes, had turned out to be a surprisingly useful advantage in his new, less scheme-y life. But then, survival was always the primary goal. He just hadn't expected to be using his survival tools in such a mundane manner. 

Theo's deduction about the burrito-eater was correct. The woman turned the paper wrapping over the open end of the burrito and dropped it through the flap of the nearest trash can, still a few yards away from Theo. She continued on her way without looking back, and when Theo reached it, he stopped. This part of the the process was tricky to be discreet about. There wasn't much he could do to hide what he was doing, but it didn't usually matter anyway. Most people didn't pay attention, and those that did happen to notice didn't generally care. He was sure he wasn't the only one in town using this particular method of food retrieval. 

As it had never come up, Theo had never considered the legality of this. He had opened the flap to the trash can and spotted the desired burrito. The can wasn't very full, so he had to reach. He almost had it when he felt someone tap on his shoulder. 

“Excuse me, but you can't do that. Digging through public refuse goes against Beacon Hills city ordinances,” a deputy, as the shoulder-tapper turned out to be, told him. 

Theo was hungry. He hadn't eaten since his similarly-scavenged lunch the day before. So he wasn't in the mood to have his breakfast arbitrarily denied him by this random deputy. He turned straight to the deputy and put a hand to the man's chest. He wasn't forceful, but he wanted this guy to take a step back and quit crowding him. 

“You know, I'm not all that concerned with city ordinances. I'm just grabbing breakfast, all right, man?”

The deputy basically ignored him and continued, “You can't do that here.”

“Seriously? Back off.” Theo was getting more irritated. He tried to turn back to what he was doing, but the deputy grabbed his shoulder this time and pulled him back. So Theo turned and shoved the guy away, glaring at him. 

“Okay then, I guess we're going to the station.”

Theo found this idea ridiculous, but the guy didn't seem to be joking. The deputy gestured to his car, and despite the massive inconvenience and the loss of his hearty breakfast, Theo was sure resisting wouldn't work out in his favor, so he got in. He didn't want to chat with this guy, so the ride to the station was quiet. He was taken right to the sheriff, who obviously recognized him. The deputy quickly relayed his side of the story, leaving out Theo's comment about breakfast and making it seem like he was digging for some nefarious reason, and left Theo in the sheriff's office. 

Stilinski was immediately suspicious. And considering their past, Theo couldn't really blame him. That didn't make this situation fair. 

“So, Theo Raeken. What sort of scheme involves digging through the trash? Were you tailing someone? Looking for information? Is there something going on I need to be aware of?”

“No.”

“No what?” Apparently the sheriff didn't think no was a good enough answer.

“No scheme, no tailing, nothing you need to be aware of. I told the deputy this but apparently he's a crap listener. I was reaching for my freaking breakfast. The person I was watching was just someone who happened to have half a burrito they didn't appear to want. They dropped it in the trash can, I reached for it, and Deputy Dick there wouldn't let me have it.”

“A burrito? This is about a burrito?”

“Yeah, that's what I said.”

“Why did you want a discarded burrito?” The sheriff was amusingly dense. But then, Theo supposed the sheriff never had been one of the people to tap on his window and send him moving along at night.

“That's none of your business, Sheriff. I mean, apparently that was 'against city ordinances' or something, but I'm pretty sure you have bigger problems. This is Beacon Hills.” 

Stilinski didn't take the deflection. Theo supposed that with all the supernatural stuff going on in his town all the time, maybe he didn't like to not know things.

“I wanted the burrito,” Theo sighed, “Because it was food and I was – still am, by the way – hungry. And free food is better than not-free food when you're low on cash.”

“Theo”, the sheriff began, brow furrowed, “Where do you live?” Okay, maybe not that dense.

Great. This was awkward. Hungry, perpetually tired Theo didn't have the motivation or the energy to craft a lie, so he just went ahead and told the truth.

“In my truck. So, you know, here and there.” He at least tried to put a little snark into it. 

“Huh. Okay. Well, that's not good. Aren't you still seventeen?”

Theo nodded.

“Well, I know you're a killer chimera with a really complicated history who's sort of returned from the dead, but legally I think you're still a kid. Which means I can't not try to address this.” 

Theo just looked at him, perplexed. What was Stilinski supposed to do about Theo's living situation? He was pretty sure he couldn't just get up and try to get back to his day, so he sat and waited for the sheriff to figure out whatever he was going to figure out. 

“It's tricky. I definitely don't want to send you to someone who doesn't know about this town's secrets... But you know what, let me check something. I think Melissa McCall may still be a registered foster parent, from when she had Isaac living with her.”

Theo had to interrupt there.

“Uh, Sheriff? You do remember that I killed Scott McCall, yes?”

“Of course I do,” he replied roughly. Scott was like a second child to Stilinski, after all. “But he didn't stay dead, so it's not impossible that Melissa would be willing to help, especially since it would be a favor to me. I don't know what else I might be able to do. Just let me call her.”

Theo could have overheard the entire conversation, but he didn't exactly want to hear what Melissa McCall had to say about him, so he deliberately focused on other things, until he heard the end.

“Great, thank you so much Melissa. I will keep looking for other options, I swear. But yes, you would really be getting me out of a bind.” He got quieter, as though Theo wouldn't be able to hear him. Humans did weird stuff like that sometimes, when they forgot what exactly they were dealing with.

“And, maybe you don't want to hear it, but after all the murder he is still a kid and he's not in good shape, Melissa. I think maybe a little bit of kindness would go a long way with him. Maybe. So just think about that, but yes, seriously, thank you so much. Okay. We'll see you in a bit. Bye.”

Theo raised his eyebrows at Stilinski, and the man just shrugged apologetically. They didn't have to talk about that part. 

“All right, well, I can take you back to your truck and then follow you to the McCall house? Melissa will be there. She won't be working until tonight.”

Theo's stomach grumbled, and the sheriff revised his plan.

“We can stop for breakfast first.”


End file.
